One of your competitors is already marketing this concept of 'ITIL compliance'. Ask yourself what the use of such a phrase realy is: it might be so that a tool supports a minimum set of requierements that can be linked to ITIL-processes, yet this does not imply at all that a particular customers needs are filled in by that same tool. WIthin ITIL, there is too much open space for multi-interpretation of a thing such as a tool for it to be able to use the phrase ITIL-compliance.

Ok, so you want to migrate excisting implementations to one, in order to become more cost efficient?

I would not start with the tool. Start with a stakeholder analysis and make sure that your customers will not hinder your migration. Do they receive reports that require a certain configuration of the tool? Do some of their employees have autorization to look (or work?) directly in a present configuration? Is it necessary to talk to them about the migration and explain why/when/how you will plan migrating activities (although you could define this as an internal project with which they should not interfere).

Next, make your new data/functional model for the tool. I cannot estimate wihtout looking at your tooling if it is wise to start entirely new, or to take the best of all 4 old implementations (this also depends on the stakeholder analysis). Map the first (of the 4 old) implementation on the new one (do not migrate them at the same time).

Make a holistic plan to migrate: people, proces, product (tool), partner, performance should all be adressed. Have a look at the 8 necesary steps for succesfull change by John P Kotter (Harvard). You can find him through google.

As above the tol cannot be ITIl compliant. However it can support ITIl best practice concepts and the better one do.

If you are looking to make the tool more alligned to ITIL best practice you can do this in a generic way. When you go to implement the tool you will still need to tailor whatever package you have to take into consideration 1) the customers processes which may be ITIL best practice or 2) the custoemrs processes which may not be ITIL best practice.

Can I tell you where to start - yes - Look at the ISO 20000 standard and that will give you the starting point. In tandem break down the Service Support and Service Delivery books.

Now the rest is up to you. As you can see it will take a little time to work it all out. Can it be done - Yes_________________Mark O'Loughlin
ITSM / ITIL Consultant

Not really integration, we are only looking at learning from are mistakes and follow a better implementation process the next time (efficiency in terms of understanding the requirement and do a one time implementation so that we dont have to make changes day in and day out).

Thanks Mark,

That was what i was looking at. I shall check the ISO 20000 standard and get back